1. Field
The disclosed concept pertains generally to electrical enclosures such as for example, electrical enclosures for housing circuit breakers. The disclosed concept also pertains to guard assemblies for electrical enclosures.
2. Background Information
Electrical apparatus, such as electrical switching apparatus or electrical meters used in power distribution systems, are often mounted on or within an electrical enclosure (e.g., without limitation, a panelboard; a load center; a meter breaker panel) either individually or in combination with other electrical meters or switchgear (e.g., without limitation, circuit switching devices and circuit interrupters such as circuit breakers, contactors, motor starters, motor controllers and other load controllers). Such circuit interrupters are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to a trip condition, such as, for example, an overcurrent condition, an overload condition, an undervoltage condition, a relatively high level short circuit or fault condition, a ground fault or arc fault condition.
One known type of enclosure, for example, includes a handle at the exterior of the enclosure that is mechanically connected with a mechanism of the circuit interrupter within the enclosure that is movable to switch the circuit interrupter between, for example, its ON and OFF positions. In one such exemplary configuration, a metal shaft is attached to the circuit interrupter within the cabinet at one end and extends toward and is coupled to a handle of the enclosure at the other end. The shaft enables the handle on the outside of the cabinet to be rotated (by way of example) to cause the circuit interrupter to be switched between its ON and OFF conditions. However, among other disadvantages of such designs, the shaft can cause harm to an operator during maintenance and installation.
There is thus room for improvement in electrical enclosures and in guard assemblies therefor.